


Collection of Memories Within a Reality

by HeroesBreath



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Amnesia, Horror, M/M, Memory Loss, Phobias, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Elements, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:38:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5399726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroesBreath/pseuds/HeroesBreath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What will You do when you wake up in a strange place with no memories of what you used to be? That everyone either wants to please you or tear you to shreds and what for? You certainly wouldn't know, now would you?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lady Dressed in White

**Author's Note:**

> I'm positive I'll need motivation to finish writing this. Please be sure to leave comments! I'll add more tags later when I think something needs tagging.
> 
> *Ch 1 took me a week and a half just to write. Kill me.

I felt strange waking up. Every part of my body hurt, from my thick bones all the way to my slender finger tips. My pale lashes fluttered open, revealing red crimson eyes that stared at the sky painted a purplish black, bright dots adorning the canvas. It's...night? And I was outside. I could tell from the trees looming over my person with their outstretched arms. I sat up and rubbed at my throbbing head, rubbing circles into my temple to soothe the dull pain. I began to try and recollect my memories on how I ended up there. But it was a challenge because I couldn't remember much of anything else. 

I know my name is Dave Strider, 19 years old and...That's all I can remember. "No, I know more. I know!" I said to myself, trying harder, focusing on anything but I couldn't recall a single memory. The effort was futile anyway. At least, where I am, it is. If I didn't know my location, how could I remember anything important? The scene I'm in has zero connections to me since I don't feel any nostalgia here. It's also strange how I was dressed. Knight's clothing. Or maybe something close to what a squire would wear. It was some sort of medieval garbs, something I know for fact that I didn't wear. Wherever I was. My undershirt was white in color with a sleeveless, bright red tunic on top with golden trims. A golden lion was on the front, right onto my chest facing his right arm. He had a belt over his belly, letting the excess cloth accumulate over the belt since I preferred the look. I put the white sleeves up to my elbows, soon starting to fix my platinum blond hair out of habit. 

"He's back! He's back!"

"Our Dave is back!"

I froze, hearing tiny voices coming from a bush. "What the.." I squinted towards that direction when suddenly, a head popped through the small branches, the head of a puppet. It's eyes were round with a bright blue hue, glossy and staring dead into my own. The doll had absolutely no hair on it's head, almost like it was pulled out. I jumped back in fear as the head fell from the bush and rolled closer. It's mouth opened and it began to speak. "Dave. Don't you remember us?" Came it's strange voice that sent shivers down my spine. It felt similar to a nail sctraching a black board or it gave off the same feeling. "You don't remember us Dave?" More voices came from behind me. I looked around, seeing a headless baby doll waddling closer to me. Beside the moving doll was another that had it's head but missing various parts of it's body. It had no legs and only one arm to drag itself with. It was also missing an eye, the hole being a complete abyss. They were getting too close for my liking.

"Back off!" I threatened, smacking a doll where it flew to hit a near by tree. More emerged from the bush and I tensed. These were abnormally freaky but I can faintly recall something from them. Was I ever afraid of dolls?

"He doesn't remember us"

"What if it's not Dave?"

"An imposter!"

"Imposter! Imposter!"

They began to chant, making me cover my ears from the horrible sound of it. I shook my head. I am Dave, I know I am, but I haven't encountered any unearthly dolls, that much I can remember. "What the shit, get off me!" I began to squirm as they grabbed at what they could find. 

"Let's eat him!" 

"Eat, Eat!" 

"Eat the imposter!"

That's when I finally stood up (Why I didn't in the first place was beyond me) but they didn't stop. They jumped on my legs with tight grips, grinning wide with the plastic teeth. They continued to giggle and speak with their loud, voices and i could faintly hear a baby crying. It was loud and directly in his ear but there were no infants around, just ugly, terrifying dolls. I felt like I was in my own horror film. I kicked them off, grabbing some and tossing it away but they kept grabbing back on, trying to climb to my face. They were fast too, one crawling all the way up my back and Having a good grip on my platinum blond hair. It tugged on it and I let out a grunt of pain. I reached back to grab the one abusing my hair, trying to throw it especially hard into a tree but it instead, bit my long slender finger. I gasped then growled, reaching back more and attempting to just slap it off. 

Though, I made the mistake of focusing on one because I hadn't noticed the other's were trying to trip me. They had wrapped a vine around my ankles, pulling back on the vines while the ones that crawled onto me were pulling me forward, using the front of my graphic tunic to do so. I fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of me, causing me to gasp for air. The dolls that mistakenly took the front side of me tried from getting under my weight. Some succeeded while other's didn't and some began to help the other's that couldn't get out themselves. After I got my second wind,  I continued to fight but with all of them crawling onto my back, pining me down to the muddy ground, it was hard.  "Get off me! Get off!" I yelled and thrashed about. No matter how many I throw off in my sudden movements, they always climbed back on and tried harder. 

 

I was being weighed down by dozens of dolls, all trying to gnaw on my clothed flesh. I looked around frantically, trying to find anything that could help me in this situation. All I could find was frail sticks, rocks, and grass, two of those things being out of my reach. I still tried though, my arm stretching out to grab the closest stick, the one still grabbing onto my hair crawled onto my head and began jumping on it. I could still hear it's voice through the pounding sensation in my ear, further adding to the migraine I was already sprouting. It was getting harder and harder to grab the stick, each hop on my head causing my eyes to blacken for a moment then come to again. Each time made me reach harder but they were too much. They were slowly beating me. I feel like this is a nightmare I've had before but I can't quite remember. It doesn't matter,I was done for anyway. Eaten by demonic dolls. Sounds like a great thing to put on my tombstone.

My body soon went slack and my eyes were half open. I'm positive my head was bleeding a bit and my body felt completely numb or rather, my mind decided to block out everything else that wasn't my horrible headache. I slowly closed my eyes, my body wanting to give up but I kept opening them for reasons unknown. I don't know why I was trying, still fighting to stay conscious because this was a fight I couldn't win. Something was telling me to keep my eyes open, something that I couldn't hear. Hell, I didn't even hear it in my head, It was just a thought that came through my mind. 

 

Soon, soft humming came from a bit away, loud and prominent but yet soothing. It sounded casual, as if someone just started to make the sound in habit while they did their daily tasks. I stared ahead, soon seeing a woman appear from behind a flock of trees into my view. The woman was practically glowing, a bright white light illuminating the ground and the area around her. It was a warm feeling, familiar too but I wasn't sure from where but then again, I can't remember if I had any friends or if I had a pet or two. The woman looked to me, another chill went up my spine and I shivered, staring wide eyed at the woman. 

She was a skeleton.

The skeleton had a veil over her face, sheer to still show the sockets of where her eyes should be. On her head were flowers, roses and lilies alike, the roses being a pure white. The dress she wore was almost like it was stuck to her body. It flowed off her bone body, white and waving as the wind blew around it. Towards her chest, the dress became like a sheer fabric again, showing her ribcage. Stuffed in her ribcage were thousands upon thousands of elegant flowers, some spilling out even. Vines circled the curved bones, leaves poking through the crevices of her ribs. She was extremely pretty, despite revealing her very bones to me. 

The dolls on me seem to disagree.They gasped. "No, not you!" "Not you, Not you!" They cried, crawling off me to run off into the bushes. The lady walked closer to me as the last doll fled into the night. The lady kneeled down, looking right into my eyes with her empty ones. She lifted her hand and grazed my cheek with it before slowly moving to my forehead and lifting my bangs up. She brought her lips (or rather, teeth) up and left a kiss onto my forehead. Something about that kiss felt comforting, making me relax instantly. It was almost uncanny!

She stood up, looking down at me once more before turning, slowly as her dress continued to flow like waves in the chilly wind. She then began walking away from me as if she didn't just save my life. "Wait--Hey!" I quickly scrambled to my feet and began chasing after her but despite me running and her walking in her leisurely pace, She somehow kept getting further and further from me. I continued to follow her. Left, right--Right, left. 

It wasn't till I made the last left that I found something strange. At least, more strange than before. It was a door in the middle of the pathway--In the middle of the forest, I should say. The door had a stone frame and it made an arch at the top. The door itself was wooden with a golden handle. I peered around the door, seeing the exact same door except the door was on the opposite side. "Okay.." I muttered to myself, returning to what I conceived to be the front of the door. It's a strange door alright but I'm not going to waste my time with stupid doors that are unnecessary. I can walk around it. And that's what I did, stepping around the door and continuing on my path to find the skull lady.

I ran for a while, my legs somehow not feeling like lead but I was starting to lose breath. Not to mention, I think some sap dropped on my head. I could feel a thick liquid traveling down but thats okay. I don't mind as I'll fix my hair when I find the lady. I stopped for a moment, resting my hands on my knees and panting softly. I took my time, trying to get some more energy up so I can run around the forest again to find that Lady. When I looked up, I saw the door again, a bit away from me. I eyed it suspiciously. Obviously, something is up with this door but I didn't want to mess with it. So I ran past it again. I don't know why I was determined to find a lady but I felt a need to. It was like she knew everything I didn't and it could help me find out why I'm stuck in this creepy place. 

I round a corner again and there was the door once more, standing strong and in the middle of my path. By then, I was more than skeptical. This door is definitely following me. I have yet to walk in a circle, I'm positive about that, I haven't done many turns for me to walk in a circle. I continued running, my mind off the lady now. I tried different combinations. Right, Left, Left, Left, Door. Left, Right, Right, Left, Door. Left, Right, Left, Right, Door.--They even started to become more frequent-- Left, Right, Right, Door. Right, Left, Right, Door. Right, Left, Door. It was the same door too! No different designs, no nothing! And on top of that, the crying baby noises increased. This was going to drive me crazy! I had to think of something! And think of something I did. I began walking through the trees and off the dirt path, stepping into the bushes and ferns. It was a bit of a challenge to know where to step in this dark. Sometimes I would step on glass, sometimes I would step on broken porcelain dolls. Sometimes I would step onto orange plastic containers that doctors gave their patients. This forest was definitely strange..

To add onto how strange it really is, Once I got past another tree, The door was back. Right in front of me. I jumped and fell back, only to fall against another door behind me, my back hitting the wood with a soft 'thump'. I sat up straight and tried getting away from them, only to be stuck in between them by another door. I was practically surrounded on all sides, the fourth side already having a tree there to block my path though I wouldn't be shocked if a door knob erupted from the tree. I pressed my back against the tree trunk, eyeing the three doors that are trapping me in. 

I have nowhere else to go. And I might as well leave, the lady doesn't seem to be around. I thought that maybe the lady went through the door or maybe she wants me to go through it. I sighed through my nose. "Fine, I'll go through the crummy door." I said in defeat before going to the door directly in front of me. I placed a shaking hand on the knob and turned it, slowly pushing it in. The first thing I saw was blinding light, hot but still comfortable. I stepped one foot in and then the other. 

I let the light engulf my being.


	2. The Silent Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Force me to continue. I want to finish something for once. Lets try to make it this one.

I stepped through the other side of the door, beginning to look around in my new surroundings. I was in a forest again but something was a bit off. The sky was still night time and the trees were still towering above but it looked like it was colored with crayons, small patches of white everywhere like it wasn't filled in completely. Am I in some kid's weird fantasy? Because it looked straight out of one. Or some weird acid dream. Either way, it was more than a bit discomforting as I didn't look like I belonged in this strange scene. Since I clearly wasn't colored  with crayons and I lack black lines to keep the color in.

I walked over to a tree touching it with utmost curiosity. It felt like actual crayon on paper with a strange smooth but jagged texture. Looking around the tree to see if its flat, I found that its still very 3-dimensional. I raised a brow in question, but as wind blew, it changed my initial thought. It was practically pushing me down a dirt path. I reluctantly followed, I was suspicious but where else could I go? I have no clue where I am..

So I just do what this crazy realm wants me to do. I just hopes that there's a warm cabin at the end of this road; its a bit chilly outside.

The rocks crunch under my feet, a soft noise under the wind howling and traveling through the leaves (which looked like clouds of green along ragged brown branches), creating a quiet mood. It felt off but I pressed on. I walked and walked and walked...My legs didn't ache from all this, strangely. I definitely know that legs get sore after working out. Mostly without a break in between. But my body didn't show any fatigue so I didn't see a reason to stop.

Why is that? Is it because this is a dream? Well yeah it has to be. The puppets/dolls? The skeleton in white? The teleporting doors? The crayon forest? All a dream. All fake. I'll wake up in a matter of seconds then my memories will come flooding back to me and this will become a distant one. A dream-- No, a  _nightmare_. I can't wait to get out of this acid trip, did I do acid? Have I touched drugs of any kind? Perhaps I drank a little too much before going to sleep..What's the drinking age? How do I know about a drinking age? 

Why do I remember some things but other things, such as anything about  _me,_ are muddy and dark. I feel like pulling my hair out.  Ugh but something tells me that I don't do that usually.. Was I a relaxed person? And what the ever loving  _fuck_ is up with this fucking silent forest?

...

If this is a dream..Then why does everything feel so real? The chilly air bites harshly at my pale skin, goosebumps sporting along my arms and I involuntarily shiver. Before when I touched the tree trunk, I could actually  _feel_ it. Now that I think about it, my head is still throbbing from those damn puppets, since the adrenaline is fading. I vaguely remember the liquid on my head and I reach back to scrape some off. When I brought my hand forward again, I saw a bit of blood on the white fingers. I can feel the warm liquid still trickling down from a small wound on my scalp, It's the only warmth I have and it's slowly fading away.

Another shiver runs through my body and I rub my arms. Maybe I can't feel my legs because the cold numbed them. 

I pushed forward again; the wind blowing along the path as a gentle push to keep walking. It might bring comfort but it only gave me more suffering. I sneezed a bit, rubbing my nose.  Yep, weirdest dream ever. I fucking sneezed.

I was hunched over as I dragged my feet along the path. I squinted my eyes against the wind, already feeling the itchiness that comes from dry eyes. I rubbed at them for a moment, circles dancing in my vision for a bit before fading as my eyes focused again. I looked up, seeing the moon in the sky. It was crescent shaped and far off into the corner of this reality. The stars were definitely made by a two year old or something, scribbled crossed lines in a bright yellow hue. The stars are animated though, shining bright like they're supposed to. Honestly, this was a bit cute. It's like a made up world, peaceful and beautiful in it's....childish way. But what's unsettling is the lack of anyone in it. For what I can tell, I'm the only one around. 

Nothing else. Absolutely nothing. Just trees, the moon, and the stars. No owls to 'who', no crickets chirping.  _Nothing_. The only thing that could be heard is the wind blowing, showing that this world is still somewhat functional. But I realize I don't want to be alone. I want to go back to that skeleton lady that saved me. Hell, i'd take the creepy puppets, anything that fills in this void. The wind picks up and I take that as an incentive to start running. I  _don't_ want to be in a world with no one in it, no matter how peaceful it is to be all alone. I need a way out, where's a magic door when you need one?

My legs move with the wind on instinct. The cold continues to creep along my skin. It's not even snowing but I suppose it's the harsh wind doing this. It's gotten to the point that my fingers feel numb as if I started getting frostbite and it was spreading fast. My pace quickened with haste, I was honestly terrified. Where do I go? What do I do? Panic rised in my stomach, making my gut twist in odd ways. I don't want to be here, give me anyone! ANYONE!

In my panic stricken body, I barely noticed that my fingers felt like they were falling off. I didn't even know if they were but I quickly grabbed onto them to keep them from doing just that. My toes felt the same way but thy were in my shoes so it shouldn't be too bad. I tucked my hands under my arm pits as I continued to sprint down the pathway. The cold was unbearable, it felt like it was hammering itself right into my chest. My chest was heavy because of it, threatening to drag me down. When I felt my more lethargic and slow, my legs dragged along the floor again. Fear consumed me, I was going to die all alone, in the cold and freeze to death. I didn't want to but the air was suffocating now and my face felt extremely wet, when did I start crying? Not that I care, my mind is clouded in terror. I let out a loud scream but it was inaudible, only a silent croak- a plead into the black night. My throat burned from the air, I needed something  to breathe that doesn't hurt but that's impossible now is it? Though the cold air was starting to feel a bit warmer now... It was welcoming, especially how weak I was from the air that I thought was cold...

This is nice..I do remember this feeling though. When your brain stops working fully and tells your body that the cold is actually warm and comfortable, anything for it to rest. This is what happens before someone dies of frostbite, i've heard. I guess...this is how i'm going to die...

My death will be quiet and tragic. Is that better than dying from man-eating dolls? Depends on perspective. I feel numb, but thats a neutral thing, I guess. I can't feel the physical pain anymore but my chest aches horribly. I don't like it, I don't want to die this way. It's not a worthy death, I know I can do better.

So in another push of determination, I pick myself off the floor. It took both my weak hands (Oh, my fingers are still there? I thought they fell off before)  to push my self onto my equally weak legs. The limbs wobbled before they were able to pick up the rest of my body a bit. When I was up, I stumbled to the side, only to crash into a tree. I used it to help me up more. Now standing and fighting against this freezing tundra I felt in this so called silent "paradise", I felt confident. I stumbled forward, using the next tree to help me keep myself up. I wasn't turning back and I refuse to as well.

_Striders are stubborn._

Am I? I am a Strider so I suppose so. I'm stubborn then, I won't go like this. Not without a worthy fight.

With that, I stopped using the trees as often. I still stumbled a lot and if I felt like I was going to tip over, I reached my hand out to hold myself steady. Soon, the wind picked up but this time, it did feel a bit warm. But not like last time. It felt different. It wasn't the same as last time because I don't feel sleep overcoming me. I actually felt more energized because of it. Soon, I was able to walk without using the trees at all.

I continued to follow the warm breeze and in a matter of moments, it lead me to a cliff. The cliff had a full moon in front of it but it actually looked like the moon. Not a crayon version of it in the corner of my vision. It had the details of the actual moon, visible craters and all. It shined brighter than the moon made of crown. Despite it being disturbingly close to this earth, it was comforting. But there was a figure standing in front of the large glowing rock in the sky. It seemed to be looking at it until it felt the presence of me. It slowly turned and I noted the height of the figure.  I also noticed it was just a little boy, probably no older than 8 or 9. The boy looked straight at me.

All I could see was gorgeous bright blue eyes.


End file.
